Metal Mule 2 in 1 - opinions please
 

Hi all,

I am considering a mm 2 in 1 exhaust to give back some ground clearance to my lowered xtr. Is there anyone who has done this mod and regretted it? It is very pricey when delivered to oz.

Is the weight saving really that noticeable?

Thanks

I'll be interested to hear what people say. Considering the system myself but i'm concerened about the fit of the can on the new model with the cone end. Looks like it almost fouls the indicator and have seen some guys even use gaffa tape to stop the indicator melt. small issue but one i'd rather not have to deal with after spending that cash.

I have purchased the MM2-1 system, I'm eagerly awaiting it's arrival so I would like to be able to offer an oppinion however it may be another couple of weeks before I can.

There was a large run on sales of the system just before I ordered mine a few weeks ago, there is a delay as MM awaits new systems to be manufactured.

I look forward to being able to comment and supply some photos soon!

Thanks Nutt . . Look forward to hearing how you find it. Good luck.

I dont have a MM 2 into 1 but have heard that it does give a far bit more ground clearance, slightly more grunt to the engine down low, with no real difference up high in the revs.

The only downsides ive heard from it is ��� and as its a 2 into 1 the rear brake resvoir needs to be moved out of the way and also the exhaust does get very hard and can burn trousers or the RHS leg if your not carefull.

i heard you can lose 10kg and gain 5cm at least.
will be the first mod on my bike if i buy an xt660

As I've posted on here before,I bought one a while back off ebay and made the mistake of not doing my homework as early versions made for 04/5/6 didn't a lamba hole!! mines an 08!!!,so it resides in my garage under the work bench.

But there sure ain't a lot to e'm,heaps more ground clearance and just the one can,if you buy a kit it comes with a bracket for the rear reservoir.

this couple at http://motoventurers.com have done 30k km on theirs. xt660r is such a nice bike for touring with nice light weight
http://motoventurers.com/wp-content/...6/DSC_5224.jpg

i got my new system yesterday and installed it directly.

the looks and quality is nice! better then it look at their homepage.
the can for example has now a cone at the end wich make it look realy nice.
the heatguard for your shoes is made out of carbon and looks nice too. much better then the metall thing they show at their homepage (maybe they should do an update at the page ;) )

the can is quite heavy with ca2,6kg (you could save something there with one in carbon i guess) and the overall weight is around 4,7kg...that is a saving ca 8-9kg to the original system

to install the system is not that big fun.
the insidenut in the front for the left side pipe is coverred by the pipe itsself so it was a mess to thighten the nut.
for the brake reservoir you get an extra part so you can move it and that works really easy and fine.
but the big mess is att the back. the last part off the pipe were you put the can on is not "straight" so it is real hard to get the can straight Points to the middle of the bike).
a bikeshop in my town told me that they had the same problem on 2 systems so i think that MM wants to make the bike so tight that their boxes and stauff work too but they made it a bit to thight.
after a while off work i got it on but it is not perfekt.

the bike has now ca 5-8cm more ground clearance and the bike looks a lot nice as it is much more "clean" and looks "open" wich i like.
more like a real supermotard or cross should look like.

the system sounds quite loud. i do not know how loud it is but you do not wanna drive around at home to much if you like the people around :)
now every body is looking at you!
but for my taste it is just right. sounds quite nice i think.

the bike has more power in the bottem now. you can really feel the difference.
with 14/45 gearing, this system and the original aircleaner (just without snorkel) i can go down to 68km/h in fith gear and it feals ok.

i can feel a difference with heat as it is not just at your right foot, the system is a lot higher and on the side so the engine is not covering it. but it is absolutly okej.
for the right foot, i always ride with my pants in the boots and i do not touch the system. but if you have real loose trousers then there could be a problem.

for the weight wich i was mostly looking for. you can feel it on ways you know. the bike feels better...not extremly but it is better.
as more i ride as more i noticed the diffrence

i do not regrett that i bought the system!

Hey FUCHS,did you have any issues with the cone outlet position and the rear indicator?

i�ve got an tail tidy mod on my bike and have no problem with the cone. i do not know how it would work with the original tail

where did you get the tail tidy, please.

it is the one from otr with stealth 2 blinkers

It would be nice if you post some pictures of your bike please. I'd really like to see the 2-1 system with the cone.

i�ve got just that bad cam but here are some pics :)

Thanks a lot for posting those pics!! :applause:

It does look better than the pictures shown on metal mule's webpage!

I also like the heat protector for the right foot. I would think that is included in the kit or did you do make it yourself?

It's interesting that you tied the can only with one fastner to the bike. I thought it is usually fixed with two fastneres...

In the next few days I will be posting my experiences with mounting the MM 2in1 but as a quick comment the muffler on my bike is straight in the vertical axis but horizontally it is not paralell with the mounting points just as it looks in the above picture. As such 1 clamp easily fits but the other requires mods to the mounting points to fit- a real pain I am in the process of completing. In saying that the single mounting point feels very secure.

That explains it...

Looking forward to your post! I'm also thinking about getting the MM 2 in 1...

yes there is the problem with the mounting for exemple. i can not fit the second fastner.
but there is no problem with this as the hole system sits tight. (even in the enduro lane)

in the next winter i will change some things on the frame and for example take away the original mounting points for the 2-2 system and than just use the mounting point the passanger "handelbar" as i do not use them.
with that the muffler will be a little bit higher up and it will look more "clean".

the carbon heat protector comes with the kit and is fine.
it gets quite warm but there is no problem with touching it with your pants/boots.
but this heat protector is mounted with 3 small screws wich can make a burning hole to the pants if you touch them. this is not happen by normal riding but i had that problem last week as i was on a real hardcore enduro road with big stones and so on and i had to work quite hard in some places and on this way i got a burning hole somewhere.
i saw a thread where someone had taken away this heat protecten and wraped the system instead. i am thinking about making this too but want to look if i really need this as the carbon part looks nice.

Hi
 

Hi guys,

I have the MM 2-1 system fitted on my bike and have had it for some time now.

I think the MM is worth getting dependent on what you want it for.

Ground clearance and weight saving ---

i agree with Fuch that it does knock of 8-9kg which is of course quite a lot and it does raise it considerably (bear in mind you will need a new 2-1 bashplate)... but its probably not worth getting unless your going to be doing some proper enduro riding!


Indicator---
i wouldnt worry about the indicator at all, i had my can literally touching the indicator for a solid month with constant use everyday and nothing happened to it. Only a few weeks ago did I twist my can away from the indicator. If you losen the two fastening straps and twist the can clockwise and then retighten it doesnt touch.

Sound---
It does sound quite loud when you first stick it on, but by the end of the first week it dies down and so becomes more tolerable... although i do love the sound she makes ... actually im just thinking maybe it doesn't die down but ive just become accustomed to it... whatever it sounds cool...


Fitting ---
Like Fuch said .... its not an easy fit, in fact it was a real ***** for me to fit! and did take quite a while. There was that one awkward screw to fit as well. But saying that a few weeks after i fitted it i had to remove it to heat wrap it and when i put it back on again i was expecting another kung fu match with it but it went on easier than my socks in the morning

Fastener ---
I had a problem attaching the second fastner too, eventually got it sitting somewhat right, not perfect but it just takes tweaking.... im thinking its because both the fasteners are exactly the same but sit at different heights so one really needs to be slightly longer which means extending the screw hole a bit

Heat ---

The carbon thingy does come with it and does look cool but the three screws that attach it to the pipe are a problem. But i guess their a problem depending on what you use the bike for. For example if your enduro riding mainly then your boots will probably be higher and it wont burn through etc...(thats what someone told me on this thread)...

bbbbuuuuttt my bike is used for long distance travel and i mainly wear jeans and shorts etc and when I had that carbon plate on the screw did burn a hole through my trousers and i only noticed when i smelt burning at a traffic light!

Fuch posted:

That thread about thermal heat wrapping and heres the link:

http://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?t=16544

heat wrappings mainly as an alternative to the burning hot screw. but it also has a couple of other benefits:
1. it stopped the majority of heat exiting the exhaust from pumping into the bikes engine and pipes etc
2. the exhaust does get hot especially as your leg runs past it. without that plate, when you get of the bike or if just poodling along its easy to catch your leg on it and get a lil burn.

Saying that, alot of people have the 2-1 and have kept the plate and are cool with it, i guess it just depends on you the rider, the way your leg rests and what you use the bike for.

(if you want to do a bodge job... its only the one rear screw that burns --- the two at the front are far away from your leg, so you could just remove the one rear screw and the two front ones will be more than enough to hold the plate in place saving you a lot of time and hastle)

The above option will save you time, money and keep the carbon thing seeing as though you guys like it so much :D


All in all, I would recommend the 2-1 system as I like the sound (especially on a single cylinder, the extra ground clearance, the weight saving is a big plus for me, removing a useless extra heavy can and mainly for my own personal reason .... the scorpion metal mule can doesnt have a catylst convertor in it and the originals do. So when i hit the middle east i cant use the original cans as their is an abundance of leaded fuel there so using leaded fuel would destroy the original cans so i had to have a different can anyway (Killing 4 birds with one can) :icon_biggrin:


Andy

Hi Fuchs

Can you let me know if the metal mule exhaust is a larger diameter than the stock? I have hepco and becker pannier frames and i'm trying to work out if the metal mule can with clash with them. If it doesnt stick out any further than the stock I should be fine.

Thanks mate

Ben

hey,
the can is bigger then the originals but it does not hav the extra shield and it sits a lot more to the middle of the bike. with this the outside of the can sits much more to the middle of the bike. i never tried some panniers but would say that you got more place with the metal mule system then with the stock system.


as we talked about heat.
the carbon heat protection part is fit with 3screws like we talked about. under each of these 3 screws are some rubber-papperstuff rings. these rings/shims seems to not like heat really well. i made that big tripp over the last weekend -1500km in ca 2days on small roads and enduro roads and sometimes the bike got quite hot with the system glowing in the front like it can happen sometimes on these bikes.
after a time i saw that 2 rings already were gone and last one was broken in 3 pieces but still there. i almost lost the screws as they were not sitting tight without the rings. i now fitted the screws without the rings wich seem to work without a problem.

not a big thing but it wouldnot be nice to loose the carbon protector

Any of you guys have trouble removing the lambda sensor? Got my MM system a few days ago and only just attempted to remove the old stuff. Everything came off pretty easy but I'm having a real hard time with the sensor.

Edit: In addition to the above, I just noticed when running the bike without the sensor with the new exhaust installed that gas is escaping from where the smaller front pipe section joins the main section (the join thats covered by the carbon heat shield. Is this normal? All the front nuts for the front pipes are tight. It's not a massive amount and the bike is only idling, don't want to rev it without the lambda sensor attached.

Im having the EXACT same problem with gas escaping from where it should join. I also had alot of problems mounting it because of a minor leftover from the welding of the inside of the pipe. I sent some e-mails to paul earlier this week..

I dont think it should be like this, you pay alot of money for a working product. Not for something that "kind of" fits and just leaks some..

Actually all sorted now! Still getting a bit of air from that joint but I don't think it's worth worrying about. Finally got the sensor out by buying a monster of a wrench and it was easy as to install again.

This exhaust is LOUD, my neighbours are going to like me much less now haha. Am overall happy with the product though, I can definitely feel the difference in weight in the bike and the sound is night and day compared to the stock system.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...2831e5df2.jpg/

How did you sort it?

Theres still a bit of air coming from that join section but not enough for me to worry about mate.

I have just ordered a MM 2 into 1...
Found it cheaper to get it from the UK
than Austraila..saved 200 notes..
I have lowered my bike 50mm so should
gain the ground clearance back with a
high system..
Better look into a bash plate...

Who did you order from? I was just looking at getting one as well. I noticed the Australia price is over $250 more than the UK so with shipping it sounds about spot on. Did you get it directly from MM? I am stuck between this exhaust and the OTR full system, or the OTR header w/ Akrapovic can.

EDIT.. I just added one to the basket on MM's website, it came to 571.40 AUD shipped, I was quoted from an Aussie online store $820 shipped. I really don't understand how their can be such a massive difference.

I ordered it from Metal Mule.. $780NZ shiped
http://www.metalmule.com/

The out fit in Austraila... Adventure Moto... $1009NZ shiped
https://www.adventuremoto.com.au/ind...7796aa958e93f5

looks as you had around a $200 diffrents as well..
figger that one... dammed if I can..

Also ordered a screen the other day.. It was cheapest out of the UK aswell...

i just fitted mine, how the hell do you tighten the inside left exhaust nut i have nothing that can get into there so havent been able to yet.

havent ridden with it yet due to that and i havent fitted the sensor yet either. but its ridiculously loud with the baffle out i started it up to see.

the clamp that came with my kit for where the can joins the pipe broke for no reason but no biggie.

I just put one om my XTR a week ago...
NO issues with fitting...That stud nut
is a pain... I used a long ball end allen key
no prob then... as the ball works on angles..
see thread below...

http://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?...ewpost&t=18211

i got mine all fitted up there bought some extra long allen keys and used a spanner for leverage

got another problem now lol

how hot should these exhausts get?? i started the bike, the heat the pipes were giving off was crazy. the bike was idling for maybe 3-5 minutes and i gave it a couple of revs to hear the new exhaust but didnt rev it high, but i am sure i saw the front pipes starting to give off a dull glow. if i had left it running longer i think they wouldve got red hot so i turned it off.

i went to my mate who is a mechanic and he had a special socket for removing them it looks like a plug socket but with a slit up it for the wire to stick out

The right side/port gets a lot hotter than the left on the MM system.
i put it down to the diffrents in the tuned length of the header pipes..
Stainless heats up & glows very easy...

Even the stock headers will glow if you leave them. very normal.

MM make a good pipe...
but they are no good with lowering links "40mm"
the rear caliper dented the can.. & the tyre
was also hitting the gaud...
think the XT is a bit piggy for jumping over
big bumps etc...

Not sure you can compare the XT to the XR. Ones a road going dirt bike and the other is a dirt going road bike. Both are good at doing what they are designed to do.

I love my MM exhaust. Had a hard time with the exhaust nut as well but like the others I had to buy a large size ball type allen key set and that sorted it out well.

As for the sensor, I also had a really hard time getting that off as well. At the end of the day I bought a MASSIVE shifter with plenty of leverage and just used my man-strength to reef it off. I had my cranky pants on for about a day trying to get that thing off haha!

2 into 1 systems MM vs OTR
 

Hi all, I have been agonising over this for ages. Have some rides coming up and am keen to get rid of those stupid pipes under the engine. I have been in touch with Off-The-Road www.off-the-road.de and asked them about their systems.
Word is in other forums that the MM system is good (made by Scorpion) to MM specs. There is mention of quality control issues (as seen in the welding dag mentioned in this thread) and fitting difficulties. OTR make a number of systems with cans of SS, titanium & carbon, I can't go past the Akrapovic carbon can.
What you can also do is purchase a pre 2007 model without the lambda sensor (makes the systems cheaper as well) and an "O2-sensor eliminator" which I assume sends the ECU a 'nil' signal so that the RPM variability & surging is less.
Once fitted, you will have 6cm more ground clearance, less weight high up on the bike, and an ability to fit an engine guard close to the frame.
Fitting a centre stand is still possible (OTR suggests the 'SWM' centre stand) so that you are able to repair your tyres more easily in the bush.
Thanks for the great information.